Protective aquatic/bodysurfing shoe

ABSTRACT

A Protective Aquatic/Bodysurfing Shoe is offered providing substantial protection for the bottom, sides, the Achilles heel area and particularly the top of the foot. A lightweight, pliable, completely enclosing shoe, it fits tight against the wearer&#39;s foot thereby minimizing drag or resistance to movement in the water.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The invention relates to aquatic protective footwear.

2. Description of the Related Art

All forms of footwear have been in use almost since mankind started walking. Recent recreational needs have led to the development of a water shoe providing foot protection in a wet environment.

Footwear that offers protection from hot sand, sharp rocks, coral, and other maladies that contact the bottom and sides of the foot, like U.S. Pat. No. Des. 342,145 issued with the name Yeh, and, also, U.S. Pat. No. 5,771,610 issued with the name McDonald are common. They do not provide substantial protection for the top of the foot and their protection is offered at the cost of greatly increased drag or resistance to movement in the water.

Bodysurfing is an aquatic activity that one engages in at the shallows of the immediate coast. The activity involves wading/walking/swimming out through the surf to get into position for the next wave. Unfortunately, this wading/walking puts the bodysurfer at great risk of contact with stingrays whose habit is burying themselves in the sand in the same shallows of the immediate coast.

Unfortunately the Stingray, (family Dasyatidae), does not limit it's sting to the bottom of feet. Due to their habit of burying themselves in the sand, their presence can not easily be detected. Often stingrays have long, venomous spines located near the base of their tail. When stepped on they will flick their tail upward and wrap their tail around the offending foot often injuring the tops, sides, the Achilles heel area as well as the bottoms of feet. (See FIG. 1). The resulting injuries can be quite serious.

When bodysurfing in shallow waters, wading/walking/swimming out through the surf to get into position for the next wave is a constant activity. Reducing the drag or resistance to the water is an important consideration. (Swim fins by their nature increase resistance to movement in the water by increasing the surface area of the foot. This is the opposite of what is desired. Anyone that has ever tried to walk into surf with swim fins knows how difficult this can be and will often resort to walking backwards). Another consideration is the shoe's flexibility/pliability to allow for walking, wading, bodysurfing or swimming.

The Protective Aquatic/Bodysurfing shoe is therefore made of material thick and strong enough to offer substantial protection against sting ray stings and other potential oceanic maladies whereby a person could engage in aquatic activities more safely while remaining flexible/pliable and with a minimal amount of drag or resistance to movement in the water. It would allow normal walking, wading, body surfing, surfing, swimming and/or other aquatic activities. The Protective Aquatic/Bodysurfing Shoe is completely immersion compatible.

The characteristics of this shoe that sets it apart is it's substantial protection for the top of the foot, it's minimalistic drag or resistance to movement in the water and it's flexibility/pliability. Substantial protection for the foot tops will be provided. Drag in the water will be minimized allowing ease of movement by designing the shoe to fit snugly against the users foot.

Many other aquatic shoes provide substantial protection for the bottom, sides and ankle area of the foot but don't protect the top of the foot and are large or bulky substantially increasing the drag or resistance to movement in the water, (See U.S. Pat. No. 5,771,610, issued to McDonald).

The proposed invention has a substantially protective, non-slip sole, substantially protective sides, top and heel of a thick/strong material, a plurality of drainage holes in the toe area and elsewhere as determined to let water out of the foot cavity, and a loop or flap at the heel to allow for substantial heel protection and to aid both in putting on and taking off the shoe.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The aim is to provide a recreational shoe with substantial foot protection against the aforementioned maladies including stingray stings and yet is pliable/flexible enough to allow normal walking wading, body surfing, surfing, swimming and/or other ocean activities, and fits snugly against the wearer's foot minimizing drag or resistance to movement in the water and is completely immersion compatible.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

FIG. 1. An illustration of stepping on a stingray.

FIG. 2. A side elevation of the protective shoe.

FIG. 3. A perspective of the protective shoe.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

In FIGS. 2 & 3 the first embodiment of the invention comprises a boot-like structure defining an enclosure for retaining the wearer's foot, 4. Shown is the opening for the insertion of the foot, 5., a loop or flap at the heel both for protection of the Achilles area of the heel and for ease of putting the shoe on or taking it off, 6., and a plurality of drainage holes at the toe area to let water out of the foot cavity, 7.,

The foot enclosure shown in FIGS. 2 & 3 is preferably made of the lightest material possible, while still adequately protecting the foot. The preferred material would also comfortably but snugly hold the wearer's foot. Materials such as rubber and synthetic rubber would be effective and appropriate for strength, flexibility, and immersion compatibility.

While the foregoing detailed description has described several embodiments of the Protective Aquatic Shoe in accordance with the invention, it is to be understood that the above description is illustrative only and not limiting of the disclosed invention. Particularly the Protective Aquatic Shoe in accordance with this invention may be made of a variety of materials and in a variety of shapes and sizes. It will be appreciated that all of these shapes and materials are within the scope and spirit of this invention. So the invention is limited only by the claims as set forth on the next page. 

1. A Protective Aquatic Shoe fully enclosing the user's foot providing substantial protection for the foot. That said substantial protection of the foot particularly includes providing substantial protection for the bottom, the sides, the toes, the Achilles heel area and particularly the top of the foot.
 2. That said shoe described in claim
 1. has a loop or flap at the heel to aid in both the putting on and removal of said shoe. This loop or flap is of sufficient strength and rigidity to provide substantial protection to the Achilles heel area of the foot.
 3. That said shoe described in claim
 1. has a plurality of drainage holes at the toe area or elsewhere as determined to let water out of the foot cavity.
 4. That said shoe described in claim
 1. is made of flexible/pliable materials with immersion compatibility.
 5. That said shoe is made of materials strong and or thick enough to provide substantial protection.
 6. That said shoe fits the wearer's foot snugly minimizing drag or resistance to movement in the water. 